Bill draped his arm across Willard’s substantial shoulders. “Thank you, my boy. I always knew I could count on you. I don’t blame the others, either; it’s a job for most of them, and I assume they’ve been offered a considerable sum. What about Thomas?”
That must be his other bodyguard… I never heard anyone say his name before…
“Tommy? He has a family, and they’re hurtin’, like most everyone else. I sent him down to the North Hall, reckoned that would keep him out of any trouble long enough for me to get to you.”
“Well done. We have a series of increasingly gruelling tasks ahead of us. Are you sure you want to come along? There’ll be no judgment from me if you want to back out, son.”
Wait… is he Bill’s actual son? No, can’t be… they look almost the same age…
“Aww, come on, Mr. Kane, you know I’m a thrill seeker. It’s time for me ta get outta this hole in the dirt.”
Rubbing his hands together, Bill said, “Very well. By the way, how close are they to Dr. Bhat’s lab? We’ll want to warn her to shelter Dr. Lyles and his staff under one of her trailers.”
“Right now we’re between labs twelve and thirteen of row eighteen, and she’s over in two and three of row twenty four. It’ll be awhile before they get there, but I’ll shoot through and warn Dr. Bhat, then catch up with you. Will you be going straight ahead, between twelve and thirteen of each row?”
“That’s the quickest route, unless something gets in our path.”
Willard rose, looking like a military giant from our crouching positions. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Be careful, mates.” Then he strode away as if he was on patrol.
Bill looked down for a moment, his face tight. “Right, on to the next row. Ready, Lucas?”
“Yep.”
“Ms. Kim, since you have had your treatment, I don’t suppose there is any reason for Lucas to carry you, is there?”
“No, but I kind of enjoy the ride. Nahh, just kidding. I need to stretch these legs, see what they’ll do.”
“Yes, you do. All right, Lucas first, then you, Ernesto, and me. On three. One, two, three!”
I scampered across, the other three right behind me, and in an instant we were between twelve and thirteen of row nineteen, and as before, we squatted in the darkness. Bill, his smile back in place, said, “Lucas, use those magnificent ears to see if we have any company in the next row, would you?”
I nodded and focused. Wait, I hear something… there’s someone out there, a few trailers down in the next row… soft footsteps, but coming this way…
I motioned Bill in close. “There’s someone coming, but it’s not one of the guards. Steps are too light and not wearing boots.”
Bill rose to one knee. “Ah, yes, right on cue.”
“What do you…”
And at that moment, Zoey Perez tore around the corner, tumbled over me and sprawled on top of Ernie and Cheri. She held her finger to her lips and said, “Shhh!” as she pulled herself to a sitting position. “Willard stopped by to see you, did he?” asked Bill.
She nodded, her eyes wide and finger still in front of her lips. “Great. Here’s what you do now: you’re not under any kind of suspicion by the guards, so make your way back to my office. Tell them you’re trying to reestablish communications, and they’ll let you through. Tell them you don’t need any assistance. If they insist on sending someone with you, once inside my office, use this.” He handed her one of the flechette guns. “Under the keyboard on my desk, you will find a small, raised button… what’s wrong?”
Zoey was shaking her head and holding her hand out in a ‘stop!’ motion. “I uncovered some cell phone data… Jim Early is a spy. By now, he’ll realize I know, and they’ll be after me, too.”
Bill looked as if he was sucking on a lemon. “I should have known… damn LFP. All right, Plan B. We’ll get you into my office, but we’ll have to go the long way. This is actually better; they won’t see you at all.”
Oh, I see… “So, you mean…”
“Yes, up to the top of the hill, and down through the elevator.” He leaned back against the trailer, his biggest smile ever on display. “There is a third communications array.”
22
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
MEETING WITH SVC
121952 16:43
-(SVC) Yes, but… I understand. Find her, quickly. She knows too much, and could make things very uncomfortable, especially for you. How did she discover your cell records?
-(James Early) Zoey, she’s (unintelligible) bloody clever. (Unintelligible)
-(SVC) I don’t care how clever she is! We are paying you quite a lot for this, Early. Oh, by the way, we appoint you Head of The Bright Hand in (WK)’s absence.
(James Early) Oh, I dunno, that (Unintelligible) look bloody strange.
-(SVC) I don’t care how it looks, you’re next in line in the absence of (WK) and Zoey Perez. You appoint someone else to head the Communications and Logistics division and go to (WK)’s office. Advise the security… are you there? Hello? You’re cutting out. Say again.
-(James Early) (Unintelligible) bloody secondary array (Unintelligible)
-(SVC) The… they’ve destroyed the secondary array? How long will it take to rig up a temporary array, at least some way to communicate besides this horrible cell line? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, call back right away.
-The secondary array went down before they even switched over to it?
-It appears so. We are flying blind for now.
-How long did he say before they get something else rigged up?
-He cut out at that point, so it’s unclear. In the best of circumstances I would think a couple of hours, though.
-Really? We’re the world’s preeminent technologists, and we can’t get a cell phone to work? Do whatever you have to, but get him back on the line. Move a satellite, have someone stand on top of their stupid hill with a wire coat hanger, do something. We’re losing it, (SVC). Anarchy will not be good for us. Not yet, anyway. Hey, couldn’t he just go out of the cavern? Wouldn’t that work?
-It certainly would, and I would instruct him to do that if I could contact him. I’ll do some checking and see if there are any Bright Handers I can contact that are outside the cavern but in the vicinity.
-You have numbers for other Bright Handers outside the cavern, and you’re just now thinking of it? Come on, (SVC)! Did Early say whether they had sequestered Bhat yet?
-He may have, but if he did, his message was too garbled to tell. One moment…
-(Unknown speaker) This is Leena. Leave a message. Bye!
-(SVC) (Beeping sounds) Tracking shows… she is either in the Bright Hand garage or just outside. In either case, far enough out of the interior of the cavern to receive satellite transmissions. She’s one of the Bright Hand security, but largely is assigned to transportation duties.
-But she didn’t answer.
-She’s been reliable in the past. She’ll respond soon.
-Aside from her and Early, where are our nearest contacts?
-We have a couple in Kalgoorlie, and three up in Port Hedlund. Several in Perth, of course.
-In other words, no one who could get there quickly. This is another cluster bang in a series of epic cluster bangs, (SVC).
-So it would seem. I’ll contact our agents in Kalgoorlie and have them attempt to contact any cavern-bound Bright Handers they know to have them get Early in a position where we can communicate.
-Do you think (BG) or (LPJ) would have any thoughts about what to do? I’m not sure I want them to know how badly this has been bungled, but I think we need some help. Holy crap, (SVC). Maybe this is a message. Maybe we’re not supposed to succeed.
-A signal from above? Devine intervention? It’s not like you to get metaphysical.
-Well, maybe we’re just not as smart as we think we are.
-Hmm. No, I would prefer to think the universe is conspiring against us rather than to consider that.
&nbs
p; -Yeah, well, why don’t you consider ordering up some poke bowls? At least that would be constructive.
****
T his is turning into some kind of party… first it was just Cheri and me, then Bill came along, and pretty soon Ernie, and now Willard and Zoey Perez… I sure hope Dr. Bhat and Avi and the rest of her people are safe… and Tom and Barry… the nicest guys I ever met… okay, no time for that kind of stuff right now…
Bill put his arms out and we huddled close together. “Sorry, Zoey, no offense, but we need to go as fast as we can between the rows, so Lucas will carry you on his back. He is quite capable of that, as you probably know. Are we ready to proceed?”
Everyone nodded, and honestly, Zoey Perez looked a little relieved that she wouldn’t have to run. “Right, then, on to row twenty. Lucas, after you, my friend.”
I immediately felt uncomfortable with the idea of anyone aside from Cheri clutching on to me, but I bent and turned so that Zoey Perez could climb on my back, and… this is a little embarrassing to admit, but… well, even in her exhausted state, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and… suddenly I didn’t feel quite so uncomfortable… oh, you know what I mean. Her arms around my neck, I pulled her legs through my arms and dashed across. The rest of the group was a second behind me, and just like that we were between twelve and thirteen in row twenty.
“Lucas, was that okay? Was I too heavy?” Zoey Perez asked as I set her down against the end of trailer twelve.
“Too heavy? You’re not heavy at all. I couldn’t even tell you were there. I mean, I knew you were there, I could feel you, but not the weight…” Oh, boy. Just stop talking.
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think someone has a little crush on Miss Zoey. She’s in love with your dad, you know.”
What? No, I don’t have a… she’s in love with my dad?
“It’s obvious as the sun in the sky, sonny boy, and the fact that you didn’t know means you still have a long way to go with social awareness. Don’t worry, you’ll get there one day, although it may be a hundred years from now. She’s desperate to do anything she can to help rescue him; that’s the reason she has driven herself so hard.”
She… she’s in love with my dad?
“That’s what I said.”
How did I not know that? Oh, boy. That changes things. I’m not sure how, but it does…
Bill put his hand on my shoulder, and I didn’t even flinch. “Lucas, put your ears to the test: let’s see if we can go two rows this next time. Do you hear anyone on either of the next two through-ways?”
I closed my eyes to help me concentrate. No one in the next one… there is something in the one past that… not sure, but… it doesn’t sound like boots… hey, I know… “There’s no one coming on this through-way, but I hear something on the next one. I don’t think it’s any of the guards, but why don’t I run across and check before we go? I can do it super-fast, it’ll only take me a couple of seconds.”
As I spoke, Ernie was tapping Bill on the back. “Hey, let me go. I’m not as fast as Lucas, but if one of those dudes catches me it’s no big deal, but if they catch Lucas, it’s game over, right?”
“I appreciate your bravery, we all do, but let’s think this through. We know they don’t want to catch Lucas; in fact, the only reason they would have for stopping him is that he might lead them to me. On the other hand, they would be happy to capture you; as far as they are concerned, you are an escaped prisoner. They might even get a little bonus for bringing you in.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess that’s why you’re the boss, Mr. Kane.”
Bill smiled at Ernie, and I’m not sure, but he looked… maybe affectionate is the right word. “Don’t worry, my boy. You just continue to remind us why we are lucky to have you with us. Lucas, we’ll time you and see how long you take to go the fifty meters from here to the gap between twelve and thirteen, row eighteen. Don’t take any unnecessary risks, though. Ready?”
I edged out to the end of the trailer, peeked around the corner to assure that my eyes confirmed that the through-way was empty, and I was off. I flew past row nineteen and slid to a stop between twelve and thirteen of row eighteen; I turned to see Cheri mouthing the words, “Three seconds!”
Whoa… not bad… okay, concentrate, now… what is the sound I heard on this through-way? Wait a minute… I smell something familiar… is that… strawberries? Fake strawberries… I think I know what that is…
I stretched up so that my head was level with the top of the trailer, and just as I thought, there was a slight cloud of steam down toward the end of the row. Tom! What is he doing out there? Doesn’t he know the guards are searching for us? We knocked the communications out, so maybe they haven’t gotten this far yet… I have to warn him…
Before I could do anything else, blasting out, echoing throughout the massive cavern, came a booming voice: “Attention! Attention! We have uncovered a plot by Mr. Kane to turn Lucas Taylor over to the Americans! We must apprehend the traitor immediately! We can’t allow the boy to fall into the hands of the Americans. If you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of Mr. Kane, Lucas Taylor, Chi Kim, Zoey Perez, or Ernesto Mesa, an escapee from the Bright Hand jail, contact one of the security personnel immediately! I repeat…”
23
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
MEETING WITH SVC
121952 16:51
-(Unknown speaker) I can get Little Jimmie out here, assuming I can find him. The communications are completely down and it’s a bit chaotic inside, so I’ll just have to hope he’s where he usually is. Might I know why I’m doing this?
-(SVC) Just go as quickly as possible. Mr. Early will fill you in. You’ll probably want to address him as Mr. Early as well because we have appointed him acting head of The Bright Hand.
-(Unknown speaker) Little Jimmie is… what the bloody hell? What happened to (WK)?
-(SVC) You really are out of the loop, aren’t you? (WK) is an American spy, and we’ve uncovered a plot for him to turn Lucas Taylor over to the US.
-(Unknown speaker) Get out! I never trusted that bugger. Always smiling. I mean, really, what’s he always on about? He’s a handsome fella, I’ll give him that, but still…
-(SVC) Yes, well, would you please hurry and locate Mr. Early? There’ll be a substantial reward for you.
-(Unknown speaker) I’m on my way. I’ll have him here as soon as I can.
-(SVC) Check with the guards inside, they may know his whereabouts. Quickly, now.
-(Unknown speaker) Consider it done. Leena, out.
-That seemed kind of sketchy, didn’t it?
-Hard to tell, but it does make one wonder.
-Do you think she’s on to us?
-Not sure, but I don’t think it would matter. She’s not a big fan of (WK) and stands to receive an enormous chunk of cash.
-Yeah, you’re probably right. Where are (BG) and (LPJ)?
-On their way. Should arrive soon. Have you heard about the skirmish in Venezuela?
-No, I haven’t really been paying attention to anything aside from our own problems. What’s up now?
-You’ll remember that we, and by we, I mean the US, have coveted their oil reserves. The public story is that we need to take down their corrupt, authoritarian socialist regime and liberate their people, but the actual purpose is to control the oil. So, we just bombed the outskirts of Caracas, and the Venezuelan government almost immediately capitulated, escaping into who knows and who cares where.
-So another nearby domino falls. What is the international response?
-Oh, the usual. Outrage from most corners, saber-rattling, but it’s all for show.
-As long as we’re talking current events, what’s the toll from this year’s virus?
-As you know, this one is particularly nasty. It’s a bit of a shape-shifter as far as the symptoms are concerned, but remarkably deadly. About half a million dead in the US alone.
-That’s what happens when you spend all
your financial and intellectual capital on the military. We’ve got to get off of this rock, (SVC). The sooner, the better. Before a bomb or a disease gets us, too.
-And, we have rested all our hopes on a fifteen-year-old boy and his imprisoned father.
-Well, do you have any better ideas? Because if you do, I’d love to hear them.
-No, I’m just amused by how quickly our fortunes have come to rest on this razor’s edge. On one side, a future in which we live a perhaps eternal life of adventure and exploration, and on the other side, certain death. Ahh, here comes (BG) and (LPJ).
-Thank God. Have a seat, guys, and (SVC), get us some drinks and a little nosh, would you? We’re going to be here a while.
****
T he message continued blasting out of unseen speakers as I ducked back behind trailer twelve of row eighteen. From all directions came the sound of lab doors opening, and the rumble of people trying to talk over the roar of the recorded message. Oh, no… most of these people have no reason to doubt that recording… if they see us, they’ll report it for sure… they probably won’t try to stop us, but they’ll let the security know where we are… we’re just going to have to make a run for it… I took the chance to peek down the through-way and saw Tom talking to a group of people while holding his lanky arms out and shaking his head, his long, stringy blonde hair flapping from side to side. What is he saying? Tune him in… come on, you can do it…
Reassemble (Singular Book 4) Page 14
